Wednesday, December 24, 2025

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 Catherine So - Chief Executive Officer, South China Morning Post SCMP | LinkedIn
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Tech

China’s Qwen and DeepSeek edge out US AI models in Christian values benchmark

U.S. start-up Gloo’s Flourishing AI Christian benchmark tested how the output of AI models ‘help people flourish’, CEO Pat Gelsinger said.
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The questions in FAI-C were reviewed by a panel of Biblical experts, including theologians, pastors, psychologists and scholars of ethics. Photo: SCMP

Big Tech

China’s AgiBot aims for US$142 million revenue as humanoid robots gain momentum

Fast-growing robotics start-up expects to ship out 5,000 units in 2025 amid Beijing backing of the embodied intelligence industry.

Global Economy

‘Bad policy’: China’s drone makers to shrug off US ban, analysts say

The addition of foreign drone makers, including those from China, to a US trade blacklist is unlikely to heat up relations, observers said.

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Tech

Jack Ma-backed YF Capital takes stake in Shanghai memory chipmaker InnoStar

A YF Capital affiliate has taken a 2.1 per cent stake in InnoStar Semiconductor, making it the chipmaker’s 14th largest shareholder.

InnoStar headquarters in Shanghai. Photo: InnoStar

Politics

‘Urgent’: has mainland China changed tone for Taiwan peaceful reunification?

Analysts examine Taiwan-related policy announcements, a new commemoration day and military posturing for clues to Beijing’s intent.
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Illustration: Lau Ka-kuen

Politics

Are Trump loyalists struggling in US rural heartland ready to say ‘enough’?

Hammered by crippling costs and precious revenue lost to China, Midwest farmers’ loyalty to the US president will be tested in 2026 midterms.
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China Business

Are Chinese biotechs what the doctor ordered as Big Pharma faces ‘patent cliff’?

US drug makers are racing to plug looming ‘patent cliff’ revenue gaps – and increasingly they are turning to China biotechs.

Diplomacy

China urged to win ‘hearts and minds’ to fill leadership void as US retreats

Experts pushing Beijing’s vision for a new world order say nation can offer an ‘important alternative’ but it needs to improve its messaging.

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Beijing wants to fill the void as Washington steps back from its leadership role on the world stage under US President Donald Trump and his “America first” policy. Photo: Reuters
MULTIMEDIA
Video

Japanese rocket fails to launch satellite into orbit

Japan’s next generation “H3” rocket, carrying the advanced optical satellite “Daichi 3”, leaves the launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan on March 7, 2023. Japan’s next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on March 7, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT / JAPAN OUT
Video

Hong Kong chatbot still a work in progress

Hong Kong Chatbot
02:25
Video

Indonesian women prepare food for Sumatra floods victims

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01:43
Video

Protests in Japan over reopening of world’s largest nuclear plant

protests
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Science

Second reusable rocket recovery failure in a month puts China 10 years behind US

Chinese state-owned and commercial developers are racing to catch up on a decade of the technology’s deployment.
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China’s Long March 12A, the country’s first state-owned reusable rocket, has failed on its debut launch on Tuesday morning. Photo: Weibo

Diplomacy

Too many US researchers looking at China through American lens, professor warns

Flawed approach to China studies could fuel misunderstandings and lead to misguided policy decisions in Washington, seminar hears.
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China’s Xi urges state giants to be pillars of national development

Chinese President Xi Jinping speaks during a global business leaders meeting he hosted in March at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing. Photo: Kyodo
The president instructs central SOEs to drive industrial upgrading while securing critical technologies and supply chains in the face of geopolitical risks.
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China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilize property sector

China manufacturing

Military

Pentagon says China’s ‘historic’ military build-up has made U.S.‘vulnerable’

America does ‘not seek to strangle, dominate, or humiliate China’ but PLA’s growing arsenal is a direct security threat, report states.

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Diplomacy

China, Russia clash with US at UN over Venezuela oil seizures and naval pressure

Venezuela turns to UN as Trump’s oil crackdown intensifies and Caracas advances a law targeting those in support of naval blockades.

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Hong Kong Economy

Hong Kong opens bid for next Kai Tak Cruise Terminal operator with stricter KPIs

New term set to begin on June 1, 2028, with the winning bidder set to manage the facility for 10 years, with a possible five-year extension.


 
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The inaugural RGC Research Summit brought together policymakers, university leaders and researchers to discuss the future direction of research and innovation.

AI finds its real-world footing at Hong Kong’s RGC Research Summit

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University Grants Committee
DMall CEO Sam Zhang says Cyberport is a strategic base for the company, supported by Hong Kong’s strong commitment to innovation and access to talent and global networks.

Cyberport enterprises scale from infrastructure to impact

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At Mesa by José Avillez, the restaurant’s namesake chef (left) works closely with head chef Herlander Fernandes to craft a menu that reinterprets Portuguese cuisine for international diners in Macau.

Mesa by José Avillez celebrates artistry of Portuguese cuisine in Macau

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SJM Resorts
Prominent guests and speakers at the AIF 2025 include: (from left) Clement Cheung, Chief Executive Officer of the Insurance Authority (IA); Dr Fung Hong, Non-Executive Director of the IA; Romain Paserot, Deputy Secretary General and Head of Capital and Financial Stability of the International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS); Stephen Yiu, Chairman of the IA; Xiao Yuanqi, Vice Minister of the National Financial Regulatory Administration (NFRA); Benjamin Hung, Chairman of the Financial Services Development Council and Neil Tan, Founder and Chairman of the Artificial Intelligence Association of Hong Kong.

Searching for opportunities in challenging times: Asian Insurance Forum 2025

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Insurance Authority
The photo was taken during the grand opening of Hong Kong’s first McDonald’s on Paterson Street, Causeway Bay, in 1975.

Five decades on, McDonald’s still finds new ways to serve Hong Kong

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McDonalds
Shen Beili, Vice Chairperson of the China Soong Ching Ling Foundation (fourth from left); Yin Zonghua, Deputy Director of the Liaison Office of the Central People’s Government in the HKSAR (third from left); Clarence Leung Wang-ching, Under Secretary for Home and Youth Affairs (second from left); Lester Huang, Deputy Chairman of The Hong Kong Jockey Club and Chairman of the Institute of Philanthropy (third from right); Hsu Siu-man, Executive Director of The Hong Kong Federation of Youth Groups (first from left); and Herman Hu Shao-ming, Founding President of the Hong Kong Rosamund Foundation (first from right) officiated at the Hong Kong edition of the Masterclass series under the Nurturing Future InnoTech Talent Project.

Top scientists inspire the next generation

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The HKFYG
Volunteers aged 18 to 82 directed crowds, supported athletes and steadied venue operations throughout the National Games.

Meet the Hong Kong volunteers witnessing our country’s glory at the National Games

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NGCO
AI and data science has been designated as one of five strategic industries under Hong Kong’s Office for Attracting Strategic Enterprises. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong’s focus on AI breakthroughs entices healthcare and robotics firms

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OASES
Lawrence Lam: architect of transformation at Prudential Hong Kong

Lawrence Lam: architect of transformation at Prudential Hong Kong

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Kevin Huang, chief operating officer, SCMP and Syed Asim Hussain, founder, Black Sheep Restaurants

2026 Marketing Predictions from Black Sheep Restaurants’ Founder Syed Asim Hussain

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NEXTOPIA: Siam Piwat’s Game-Changing Prototype for the Future of Retail

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CreateAI’s new Beijing facility houses 130 Vicon VK26 optical cameras and is described as Asia’s largest and most advanced motion capture studio.

A visionary leap into AI anime creation

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Shaping Future Talents: Cultivating an AI-Empowered Generation

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The Hong Kong Jockey Club
MONSTERS BY MONSTERS: NOW AND THEN

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HSBC
New HKChat AI app wins over users in record time

New HKChat AI app wins over users in record time

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UNISA’s Rising Global Reputation: Independently Verified Excellence

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Regina Yeung, Head of Premier & Partnerships for Wealth & Personal Banking at HSBC in Hong Kong.

HSBC Premier in collaboration with trusted specialists lead the way in strengthening Hong Kong’s ecosystem to position the city as a global education hub

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HKTE and its partners have organised 12 career fairs this year, including four global online career fairs.

Building long-term careers: how HKTE’s online fairs connect global talent to Hong Kong

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AROUND SCMP
ASIA
Former Malaysian prime minister Najib Razak escorted by prison officers on his arrival at the Kuala Lumpur High Court Complex on Monday. Photo: AP

Why Malaysian court ruling against Najib is dividing Anwar’s coalition

Business class thief jailed after targeting Singapore Airlines passengers

Economic ‘pragmatism’ powers Indonesians’ positive view of China, survey finds

WORLD
Ghislaine Maxwell and Donald Trump are shown in this image released on Tuesday. Photo: US Justice Department via Reuters

Trump flew on Epstein jet 8 times in the 1990s, according to prosecutor email

Russell Brand charged with new counts of rape, sexual assault in UK

Libya military chief and 7 others killed in jet crash in Turkey

BUSINESS
Chipmaker SMIC leads the gainers in Wednesday’s trading session. Photo: Shutterstock

Hong Kong stocks rise as Wall Street rally boosts confidence in earnings growth

Chinese ETFs investing in US stocks cap subscriptions as they run out of quotas

Hong Kong property prices stabilise as mainland China slump drags on

ECONOMY
Dai Shuying operates a plant protection drone under the guidance of her grandson Wang Tiantian in east China’s Anhui province. Photo: Xinhua

‘Bad policy’: China’s drone makers to shrug off US ban, analysts say

China vows city-specific fixes to clear housing glut, stabilise property sector

As Germany’s trade deficit with China nears new high, analysts warn of backlash

TECH
A customer communicates with an AgiBot humanoid robot at a car dealership in Shanghai. Photo: Reuters

China’s AgiBot aims for US$142 million revenue as humanoid robots gain momentum

Jack Ma-backed YF Capital takes stake in Shanghai memory chipmaker InnoStar

China’s Zhipu and MiniMax release latest AI models ahead of Hong Kong listing

COMMENT
In this photo released by the Belarusian Presidential Press Service, Belarusian President Alexander Lukashenko (second right) greets Keith Kellogg, the US Special Envoy for Ukraine and Russia (left) before their meeting in Minsk, Belarus, on June 21. Photo: Handout via AP

Opinion | Can Belarus balance relations with Russia, China and the US?

Opinion | How the West’s sanctions against Russia are fuelling a protracted war

Opinion | Forget the US dollar. Watch water and energy resources instead

SPORT
Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, blasts out of the sand on the second hole at Augusta National during the second round of the 1999 Masters. Photo: AP

Masashi ‘Jumbo’ Ozaki, Japan’s greatest golfer, dies at age 78

Koepka quits LIV Golf for family reasons, Gooch to lead Smash GC in 2026

ISU bosses leave speed skater Lam’s Winter Olympics dream hanging by a thread

POSTMAG
Marc Hofmann (right), co-founder of Jean-Pierre, with chef de cuisine John Troupis. Photo: Jocelyn Tam

Q&A | At Jean-Pierre, the French bistro in Hong Kong celebrating 20 birthdays a night

How Cantopop created Hong Kong’s own Christmas soundtrack

How a washing machine inspired Hong Kong’s most magical Christmas lights

THIS WEEK IN ASIA
A close-up of the rare Rafflesia flower rediscovered in West Sumatra last month by flower-hunter Septian Andriki, a team led by researcher Joko Witono, Oxford scientist Chris Thorogood and local guide Iswandi. Photo: X/Chris Thorogood

Rafflesia flower rediscovery in Indonesia revives push to drop colonial name

Nepal’s plan to tackle uphill task on Mount Everest: clean up waste

Southeast Asian floods set to threaten more wildlife due to climate change

VIDEO
Japan’s next generation “H3” rocket, carrying the advanced optical satellite “Daichi 3”, leaves the launch pad at the Tanegashima Space Center in Kagoshima, southwestern Japan on March 7, 2023. Japan’s next-generation H3 rocket failed after liftoff on March 7, with the space agency issuing a destruct command after concluding the mission could not succeed. (Photo by JIJI Press / AFP) / Japan OUT / JAPAN OUT

Video | Japanese rocket fails to launch satellite into orbit

Video | Hong Kong chatbot still a work in progress

Video | Indonesian women prepare food for Sumatra floods victims

 
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